Air India to Induct 270 Co-Pilots

Ongoing privatisation and mounting losses have not deterred India’s flag carrier, Air India, from adding to the already-bloated workforce, as it's in the process of hiring around 270 co-pilots in the reserved story_category.   Sources in the know of the development also say the airline has created a new stories of chief pilot as well despite it already having two somewhat similar positions--director of operations and executive director of operations--being manned by two senior pilots, said a PTI report.   Air India has, however, defended the hiring plan, citing operational and regulatory requirements.   The massive pilot recruitment comes on the back of hiring of 500 cabin crew by the state-run carrier weeks before government floated a preliminary information memorandum inviting bidders to buy 76 per cent stake.   Government will also exit the low-cost international subsidiary Air India Express and its 50 percent stake in the ground handling joint venture AISATS. The rest of the stake is held by SATS or Singapore Airport Terminal Services.   "Air India is in the process of adding 270 co-pilots when such crew is already in excess. And this hiring is being done in the reserved story_category and that too at a time when there is a big question mark on the issue of retention of the workforce stories-privatistion," airline sources said.   Sources also alleged that the airline has recently created two ED-level storiess in the IT and civil departments.